johnm001
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Posts posted by johnm001
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The '67 release also introduced the now famous poster, which many associate with the film, even today. There was the one, below, and another (the same drawing) which stated "In new screen splendor"
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I'm pretty sure the 50s reissue changed the aspect ratio from 1:33.1 to approximately 1:80.1, to try and match the new Academy Standard of 1:85.1. So, not very wide. It wasn't until the 1967 reissue that the film was truly presented 'wide', in 70MM, at an aspect ratio of 2:20.1 trying to approximate a Todd-AO look.
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> {quote:title=misswonderly wrote:}{quote}
> I'm not clear on your remark regarding Pauline Kael: do you not like her in general, or is it her dismissal of West Side Story that makes her a doofus?
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I think her writing is atrocious. Her critiques are all about her trying to be with it, hip and cool. I find she brings no insight to her critiques. Especially when it comes to musicals. I mean, if you hate the source material, why make your review about that? How about writing about how they used the medium of film to translate the show? If you hate our Founding Fathers singing and dancing, then you're going to hate it, whether you're watching a movie or a stage production of *1776*. She wants so desperately to be perceived as cool, but she's the writers' equivalent of Bob Hope coming out on one of his television specials, dressed as 'Da Fonz'.
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The only question I have about your original post is, why on earth would anyone admire Pauline Kael?! What a doofus she was.
Oh, and I think that West Side Story is the first perfect film adapatation of a Broadway musical.
Edited by: johnm_001 on Jun 24, 2010 11:48 PM
to add something about the topic at hand!
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She was GREAT on *Candid Camera*! She also spent some time on *Knots Landing*.
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I won a "6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon" game (for money!), by taking the quickest route to Joan Crawford, via Betsy Palmer!
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> {quote:title=ValentineXavier wrote:}{quote}
> Well, IMO, GWTW is probably the most over-rated, and over wrought, film there is. The best I can do for a personal pick as the "greatest" film is to narrow it down to three - Felinni's *Juliet of the Spirits*, Kurosawa's *Seven Samurai*, and Lindsay Anderson's *O, Lucky Man*. I guess my top American contenders would be *Touch of Evil*, and *Treasure of the Sierra Madre*. But, in reality, there are just too many great films to call any one "The Greatest."
You appear to have completely missed the point of the question. You're not being asked what you think IS the greatest film, but rather the greatest movie you ever saw. The one film that affected you the most, thrilled you, whatever. The question doesn't invite criticism of another's choice, as your opinion of what was great to them has absolutely no bearing on anything, and doesn't even make any sense.
For me, the choice is easy. No motion picture had a greater impact on my life than *The Sound of Music*. I saw it for the very first of many times, on March 17, 1965, in all its Todd-AO splendor. It took my breath away, and I realized how incredible a Broadway musical could be, when properly handled for the medium of film. Its impact was so enormous that, among other things, I actually moved to Salzburg, Austria for a while!
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I only saw the first one, and found it mind-numbingly boring. However, I never read the books, but I most-likely would have found them just as boring. From a fantasy perspective, my favorite was and is, *Jason and the Argonauts*, which I'm pretty sure was based on a poem.
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Princes Harry and Wills are fans, as is Ashton Kutcher and Clive Owen. His granddaughter's name is Molly Flattery and I'm pretty sure McQueen and Grant did dropped acid, together.
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There are so many good films based on novels or plays. However, I can think of only 2 films that I think are better than the books on which they are based, Spielberg's Jaws and De Palma's Carrie.. As for plays, I find Penn's The Miracle Worker a superb adaptation of a Broadway play, making great use of the camera and underscoring; and Wise's The Sound of Music is the gold-standard for adapting a Broadway musical to the medium of film, improving it, every step of the way.
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Lee's assistance on In Cold Blood is fact, not conjecture. How much she did is what is debated. However, Capote's own notes indicate she provided quite a bit of help, and he provided no help to her on To Kill a Mockingbird, as many assumed. She, of course, has remained mute, as usual.
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Capote was greatly assisted by Harper Lee. There are those who believe she just about wrote it. I have always been of the opinion that she assisted him.
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That television version of *South Pacific* is abysmal! *Once Upon A Mattress* isn't much better. However, it is better.
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As much as I love Bernard Herrmann (and film scores are my favorite form of music), I'm glad he was removed from *Torn Curtain*. I much prefer John Addison's music. Some of Herrmann's finest scores lay ahead, with his 2 De Palma films, *Sisters* and *Obsession* and *Taxi Driver*, as three of my favorite scores!
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I don't like this film, at all. I find it much ado about nothing, and like most of Cukor's output, dull. However, Judy's numbers are all first rate (even if they do sound like they were recorded in the bathroom), and the *Swanee* number is an audio and visual delight!
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Not my favorite or anything, but the very first thing that popped into my head -
"You've got to climb Mr. Everest to reach The Valley of the Dolls."
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> {quote:title=kaleman wrote:}{quote}
> I don't believe you have to be present for a Kennedy Center honor. Irene Dunne received one.
Yes, and she was present at the award ceremony, to receive her honor. You must be alive and present to receive one. That she didn't attend the entertainment gala, which happens on the next day, is immaterial to receiving the award.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y136/Johnm_001/KennedyCenterHonors.jpg
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Except neither has Esther's body. Or face, for that matter!
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What Hibi said!
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Tivo set. Thanks!
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> As I said in an earlier post, the Academy approached Ms. Day a few years back about an honorary Oscar and she asked them not to do it.
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> So, should the Academy go against her wishes?
Yes, they should, if they think she should be so honored.
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> Psychotic? Because patful said that since she's stated she DOES NOT want the award, she should be left alone? That's seems a little harsh. Why foist an award upon someone that doesn't care about it, or doesn't want the attention? That is unseemly to me.
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> And last time I checked I wasn't psychotic--at least not yet.
No. Psychotic if she had an issue with the Academy honoring her. I keep saying she doesn't have to be there (isn't anyone reading that part?) for the Academy to honor her. If she has an issue with the Academy honoring her, then yes, she's psychotic. That's like saying don't show my movies, because I don't want the attention.
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> {quote:title=patful wrote:}{quote}
> If she has no interest whatsoever in receiving an award, why on earth is everyone pushing for it? For their own gratification? I consider awards of any kind meaningless, maybe she does too. Please leave the woman alone, as she wishes.
As I stated earlier, Miss Day need not bother herself in the slightest. The Academy could still honor her. Only a psychotic would have an issue with that.
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> {quote:title=misswonderly wrote:}{quote}
> The only two Hitchcock films I actually don't like are *Topaz* and *Under Capricorn.*
I love *Topaz*, but am with you on *Under Capricorn*.
West Side Story
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I didn't say she hated all musicals, I said she brings no insight about film, to her reviews. Liking *Singin' in the Rain* is a cliche. Claiming it "Just about the best Hollywood musical of all time", when you have no appreciation for the genre isn't really saying very much. Most critics of a certain generation claim it the best, but it's a film, filled with non-original songs, except one, which is completely plagerized from Cole Porter, none of which are used to further develop the characters or plot, plagued by an out of place ballet, which brings the film to a screeching halt. It's an entertaining film, to be sure, but simply not up to the standard of *West Side Story*.